Wednesday was my birthday, and as hard as I tried to ignore it, I ended up enjoying it so much that I’ve given in to the idea of a wholly unproductive Birth Week. It all started with an indulgent weekday surprise planned by my husband: a barbecue picnic near Tomales Bay at the picturesque Hog Island Oyster Farm followed by a lovely overnight stay at the new H2 Hotel in Healdsburg.

Brightly colored textiles mix with warm woods in H2's lobby lounge.

Just a little over an hour north of San Francisco, downtown Healdsburg is the city-dweller’s perfect quick getaway, especially from the summer fog that hovers over my Outer Sunset neighborhood. You can easily kill an afternoon popping in and out of the local shops and cafes, sampling wines in the abundant tasting rooms, and lounging in the sunny main square.

The plaza in downtown Healdsburg, a popular picnic spot and venue for free live music on Tuesday nights.

H2, the new boutique hotel owned by the same group as the adjacent Hotel Healdsburg, is the ideal destination for an overnight stay. Just two weeks old, the modern, eco-chic furnishings lend a stylish, young vibe to the otherwise quaint Russian River Valley town.

If you go, be sure to make time for dinner at the charming postage-stamp size Scopa, a five-minute walk from H2, for their amazing Northern Italian thin-crust pizzas, stuffed squash blossoms, and freshly baked chocolate soufflé.

Birthday souffle (even better than cake!) with a pour of vanilla bean cream at Scopa.